The reigning V8 Supercar champion Toll Holden Racing Team has been boosted by an impressive pre-season test in torrid conditions.

Toll Holden racing outfit gets a boost

The reigning V8 Supercar champion Toll Holden Racing Team has been boosted by an impressive pre-season test in torrid conditions.

Toll completed a two-day shakedown at Winton in country Victoria with Bathurst champions Garth Tander and Will Davison reeling off 200 laps each in their new-look Commodore.

Despite driving in 36 degree heat, the test went flawlessly as Tander and Davison worked through a schedule to ready the most successful V8 Supercar team for a hectic 20th anniversary year.

Tander said the test would position the team well for this month's season-opening races in Abu Dhabi and Bahrain.

"The first test of the season is something we always look forward after the break over the off-season and it was great to be back in the car," Tander said.

"The conditions were difficult, but we have worked through our program and had a trouble free run and everything has gone well.

"Its prepared us well for the Middle East."

Davison said the Winton test provided an opportunity to work on new development pieces for their Commodores as well as to adjust for new rules, which include small fuel tanks.

"We do a lot of laps around Winton, so our test was not about optimising our set-up for here, more about trying new things, working through set-ups and getting ready for what's going to be a big year," Davison said.

HRT was joined at Winton by Walkinshaw Racing stable mates Fabian Coulthard and Andrew Thompson, Coulthard having his first drive of the Bundy Red Racing VE Commodore after driving a Ford last year.

"The main difference between the Commodore and Falcon is that they need different tuning for different times, so it's been a process of me working on what they need, starting from the ground up and getting my head around it all as quick as I can," Coulthard said.

While HRT was at Winton testing, TeamVodafone unveiled new Holden Commodores in Sydney, but 2007 V8 Champion Tander said his team's goals remain unchanged despite their rivals crossing from Ford to Holden.

"Our expectations every season are to come out on top regardless of what teams are running which manufacturers cars. HRT won the Teams' Championship last year and we want to make sure we are the champion team again in 2010."

The 2010 V8 Supercar Championship Series kicks off at the spectacular Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi on February 18-20 followed one week later by the Desert 400 in Bahrain.